The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The trial court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing till May 6 against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and others of the barge-mounted power plant case.

Judge of the special court Firoz Alam set the new date after conclusion of Hasina's counsels' submission on the discharge petition seeking relief of the charge.

Earlier, the jail authority produced Hasina from the sub-jail and another accused Dr Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury from the central jail before the court.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lodged the case with Tejgaon thana on September 2 last year, accusing Sheikh Hasina and six others for giving undue favour by misusing power to Wartsila Power Development Limited to install a barge-mounted power plant in Khulna by depriving the lowest bidder New England Power Company.

In the case, it was alleged that Sheikh Hasina took Taka three crore as kickbacks through eight pay orders for Bangabandhu Memorial Trust from Wartsila Power Development Limited to approve its proposal for installing the plant while Awami League was in power from 1996 to 2001.

Summit Group and United Group as the local agents took part in the bid on behalf of Wartsila Power Development Limited.

Former Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Dr Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former Chairman of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) Nooruddin Mahmud Kamal, Chairman of the Summit Group Mohammad Aziz Khan and Director Mohammad Farid Khan, Chairman of the United Group Hasan Mahmud Raza and Director Abul Kalam Azad were accused in the case.

Later, curator of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum Syed Siddiqur Rahman was made a co-accused in the chargesheet.

Sheikh Hasina was arrested from her Dhanmondi residence on July 16 last year in an extortion charge.

Other accused persons except Dr Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury are absconding.